All eyes are going to be on the Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer, but European football fans will have something else on their minds. The UEFA Euro 2020 is promising to be as exciting as ever, and we thought we should share some of our predictions with you.
In this article, we are going to tell you all about the format of the tournament, top favourites, and early odds set by the bookies.
The Format
The tournament is set to start on June 12, while the final is scheduled for July 12. This will be a pan-European competition, and for the first time ever, there will be 12 host countries, with each country having group stage matches. From the semifinal onwards, the matches will be played at Wembley Stadium in London.
Twenty-four teams will be divided into six groups. Two best teams from each group will move on to the knockout stage, along with four best third-placed teams.
Who Will Win Euro 2020?
Led by Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal won Euro 2016 by beating France in the final. However, there are more than a few teams the experts see before Portugal as this year’s winner.
England is the top favourite in the minds of many. They have never won this tournament before (or even played in the final), and they will have extra motivation this year as the final is played in London. England is also feeling pretty confident after finishing fourth at the World Cup a couple of years ago, which was their best tournament finish in two decades. They have a mix of young talent and experience and can very well be the winners this year.
Belgium has been a contender at every tournament in the last several years, but they have never lived up to their expectations. Although they have a great squad, chemistry seemed to be off at moments. If they get that fixed, we can expect Belgium to go all the way.
Of course, France is on everyone’s list, as they are the current world champions and the Euro runner-up from four years ago. Les Bleus will go for their third title, which puts them ahead of Spain and Germany in title rankings.
Portugal, Spain, Germany, and Italy will all have chances as well, and many are considering Croatia that finished second at the World Cup.
In conclusion, Euro 2020 will be extremely competitive since there are no clear favourites. The eight teams we talked about above are all considered serious contenders and it wouldn’t be a surprise if any of them wins.
But there’s still the question about the biggest favourites. To answer that, we have to turn to bookmakers.
What Do the Bookies Say?
If you’re planning to wager on this year’s tournament, it might not be a bad idea to have an ultimate betting guide for Euro 2020 by your side. Bookies will compete against each other to offer the best possible odds and as many betting options as possible, so you should know where to bet.
The tournament is still several months away, which means the odds might change during that time. Nevertheless, some early predictions have already been posted on top sportsbook websites.
Many of them agree that England is the biggest favourite (4/1). Next up is Belgium (5/1), followed by France and the Netherlands (13/2). Spain is given the odds of 8/1, while Germany and Italy have a 9/1 odds each. Portugal is a 16/1 favourite to defend the title, while Croatia’s odds are at 25/1.
Of course, apart from guessing the outright winner, you can bet on group winners, elimination phase for each team, top goalscorers, and more.
